Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee Works: Incredible Impact Rippling Through Navajo Nation
On the 27,000-plus square miles of the Navajo Nation, there isn’t a single bike shop. Not one. That absence goes largely unnoticed until you snag a chain, puncture a tire, or simply want to learn to ride. It wasn’t for lack of riders, just a lack of resources. This gap opened up both a challenge and an opportunity.
That’s where Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee Works steps in. At Outride, we’re honored to highlight this partner that turns community needs and opportunities into meaningful action with intentionality. From nurturing bike culture across the Navajo Nation, to empowering youth through hands-on mentorship and skills training, Silver Stallion shows us how cycling can uplift, inspire, and transform an entire region.
“We first started the Silver Stallion bike shop, but then realized our project was way more than that. Communities throughout our Reservation area don’t have so many resources most of us take for granted. We needed to become more of a dynamic organization and build partnerships that provide answers to all these gaps”
- Scott Nydam, Founder & President of Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee Works
Through its support of 14 Outride Riding for Focus in schools, after-school DEVO and club rides, free bike maintenance, and safe ride opportunities, Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee Works (Silver Stallion) is living the kind of transformational work Outride strives to support.
Located in Gallup, New Mexico, Silver Stallion has become more than a bike shop. It’s a cycling hub, a youth development engine, and a centerpiece for the community. Silver Stallion empowers youth and young adults across Navajo Nation through education in bicycle mechanics, fostering agency, skills, and healthy relationships. Recognizing resource gaps in their region, they leverage strategic partnerships and innovative programs to dismantle barriers.
Since 2018, they’ve helped launch Outride’s Riding for Focus middle school programs, formed the Gallup and Diné NICA teams, expanded DEVO and club rides to Navajo Nation middle schools, deployed the “Big Blue” mobile ride center during the pandemic, and partnered with Project Bike Tech to build high school mechanic programs across the region. And that’s just the beginning. Through community rides, events, and collaborations with programs like Little Bellas, IMBA, Project Bike Tech, and Free Bikes 4 Kidz, riders of all ages are discovering the joy of cycling and the confidence that comes with it.
“We’ve needed partnerships like Outride to bring the bike to where our kids are at. It’s exciting to be part of a community that inspires and supports more kids to get outside and mountain bike. It really is a tool that’s helping our communities move forward”
- Tanisha Bitsoi, Director at Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee Works
One of the most impactful innovations in the community is the construction of five pump tracks, driven by the incredible Indian Health Services, supported by Outride, and with Silver Stallion serving as a connective piece of this project. These safe, skill-building spaces allow riders to test new skills, build confidence on wheels, socialize, and most importantly have fun doing it!
Expanding the Reach Across Navajo Land and beyond
Bike culture across the Navajo Nation is steadily growing, thanks to collaboration and amplification fueled by Silver Stallion’s leadership. Each school, each ride, each pump track, and each new program that comes together to expand this work are threads in a tapestry of impact. Outride is honored for the opportunity to work with their team to help them put our mission into action in their region, empowering all people to access the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of riding a bike.
Follow Silver Stallion Bicycle & Coffee Works’ incredible work by visiting their website and following them on Instagram to see all the ways they support, collaborate, and drive impact with bicycles in their region.
Stay tuned and stay inspired by following @outride on Instagram to see more of our community in motion.
*photos: Shaun Price - @shaun_marcus